Southern Fried Catfish
Classic Southern fried catfish is dipped in buttermilk, breaded in spicy seasoned cornmeal, and then fried to crispy perfection. Pair it with homemade spicy tartar sauce for a match made in heaven.
Fried catfish conjures thoughts of finger-licking goodness and crispy crunch in every bite. When I bought these fish fillets at the market, I intended to bake them with garlic and salt. But I couldn’t stop thinking about fried fish with hush puppies dipped in tartar sauce. So, I put the baked version on the back burner.
I remember living next to a local seafood restaurant and ordering everything on the menu, eating my way through the menu, from fried fish to calamari. The catfish was my fav.
Sadly, those days are long gone because I’m not a young chick anymore. But an occasional indulgence can hurt. You know it’s hard for me to completely give up food I really enjoy. Besides, deep frying adds a gorgeous color and wonderful crispiness to any fish.
Naturally Gluten-Free
Another reason to love this recipe? It’s gluten-free! The ingredient list here is surprisingly minimal, even if the level of deliciousness suggests otherwise.
There’s absolutely no flour in this recipe. Instead, I coat the fish in cornmeal. I find the crunch of the cornmeal adds to the appeal. The mouthfeel is pleasant and balanced when paired with the flaky fish meat.
How to Make Southern Fried Catfish
- Prep the fish, cutting it into bite-sized pieces or using the whole fillet. Season as desired. (Photos 1-2)
- Beat the eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Then, pour it over the fish and coat well. (Photos 3-4)
- Mix the cornmeal, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. (Photo 5)
- Drain the excess buttermilk mixture from the fish. Then coat each piece with the cornmeal mixture. (Photos 6-7)
- Fry the fish a few pieces (whole fillets or nuggets) at a time, moving them around so they don’t stick, until brown and crispy. It will take 3-4 minutes per side or more, depending on the size. (Photo 8)
- Drain the excess oil from the fish with a slotted spoon and place them on a cookie rack to keep them nice and crispy. Repeat with the remaining fillets. (Photo 9)
- Serve the fish with lemon wedges and spicy tartar sauce. (Photo 10)
- Tartar sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, hot pepper relish, onions, mustard, a dash of hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. The sauce will thicken, and the flavors will develop better.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Any firm white fish will work if you don’t have catfish. Tilapia and red snapper are two great alternatives.
- Leave the fillets whole, or cut them into pieces for nuggets and faster cooking.
- For baked, breaded fish, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, batter the catfish as instructed, and then place it on the baking sheet and spritz with oil. Bake at 425℉ (220℃) until the fillets are golden brown and flake easily with a fork, 15-20 minutes.
- You can do the same thing for an air fryer and cook them at 400℉ (205℃) for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Check for doneness, and cook a little longer if needed.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
As with most fried foods, you definitely want to make these fresh! However, you can prepare your seasoned cornmeal and buttermilk and dredge them the night before to save time. You can even freeze the breaded fillets for a month or two for a fast fix.
If you have leftover catfish, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, pop it in the oven or air fryer at around 350℉ (180℃) until just heated through.
What Goes With Southern Fried Catfish
Make your whole meal Southern-themed with classic sides like hush puppies, cheese grits, turnip greens, and easy coleslaw. Remoulade and tartar sauce are a given.
More Fried Southern Delicacies to Try
- Southern Fried Chicken
- Easy Fried Okra
- Fried Cabbage
- Southern Style Fried Potatoes
- Sweet Corn Fritters
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”6EcLZ1Fs” upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:39:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Southern Fried Cat Fish” description=”Southern Fried Cat Fish- Classic Southern Fried Catfish dipped in buttermilk and breaded in spicy seasoned cornmeal and fried to perfection.”]
This blog post was originally published in October 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients
The Fish
- cooking oil for frying (how much depends on the size of the pan, but plan on about a quart)
- 4 6-ounce catfish fillets
- salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning to taste
- 2 eggs (optional)
- 1½ cups (355ml) buttermilk
- 1½ cups (225g) cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon (5g) granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) onion powder
- ½-1 teaspoon (1-2g) cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2g) white or black pepper
- 2 teaspoons (12g) salt (adjust to taste)
Spicy Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup (226g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon (3g) finely diced onion
- ½-1 teaspoon (3-5g) prepared mustard
- 3 tablespoons (45g) hot pepper relish
- 1 tablespoon (5g) granulated garlic
- hot sauce to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a deep-fryer to 375℉ (190℃). Or fill a large saucepan ⅓-½ full with vegetable oil and heat to 375℉ (190℃). There should be a good 3-4 inches of space to prevent it from spilling over when you add the fish.
- Use the fillets whole or cut them into bite-sized pieces—season as desired.
- Beat the eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Then, pour it over the fish and coat well.
- Mix the cornmeal, granulated garlic, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Drain the excess buttermilk mixture from the fish. Then coat each piece with the cornmeal mixture.
- Fry the fish a few pieces (whole fillets or nuggets) at a time, moving them around so they don't stick, until brown and crispy. It usually takes 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the size. (The large fillets took 6 minutes per side.)
- Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon. Place them on a baking rack to drain excess oil and ensure crispness. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
- Serve the fish with lemon wedges and spicy tartar sauce.
- For the sauce: combine mayonnaise, garlic, hot pepper relish, onions, mustards, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the flavors mellow in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Fresh fish should smell like the ocean. Please do not buy fish that have a fishy odor. Cooking won’t improve it. Speaking from experience here.
- If it’s your first time frying fish, try cutting the fish into smaller pieces for easier cooking.
- For crispier results, I like using a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven because they retain heat better.
- Overcrowding your cast-iron skillet or deep-fryer will lower the oil’s temperature, which can result in soggy fish. So, stick with a few pieces at a time.
- The oil’s temperature should be around 375℉ (190℃) before frying to ensure that the batter reacts and creates a barrier between the oil and the food. If your oil’s temperature is too low, the breading will soak it up.
- Once you remove the fish from the fryer, place it on a metal cooling rack above a sheet pan, so the excess oil can drain and prevent it from getting soggy.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Amazing recipe. Thanks for posting, I’ll never use another one.
Yaaay! Thank you so much!
My grandmother really loves fried catfish. I want to learn how to make it for her. It is good to know that I should coat the fish in cornmeal. I might want to ask a restaurant that makes fired catfish how to fry it well.
I’ve never tried to fry fish. Living in Mississippi, there are catfish restaurants all around. However, my husband was in Florida recently and caught a some fish he wanted to fry. This recipe was excellent, even though none of the fish were catfish. It’s in my recipe box now. Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words, Jeannie. This sure is a keeper. 🙂
I made this just now with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free corn meal and it came out perfect! I fried the fish in a cast iron skillet to use less oil and doubled the garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. So crunchy and yummy!!
Yaay! Glad it turned out great for your, Hanna. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. 🙂
So I’m googling various fried fish recipes and I stumble upon this one, which is arguably the best I’ve seen. I click the about me page since, well, I must know who I am learning from, only to find out it is MY VERY OWN AUNTY IMMA! I love you so much aunty and I will definitely let you know how this recipe works out!
OMG! Khadijah? So happy to hear from you, my Sweet Niece. We need to talk. I hear graduation is coming up… SO EXCITED for you. Can’t believe you are going to be a College Graduate- Damn, am getting old!
You know, you can make fish tacos out of that fried catfish! Yum!
Yes , you sure can.
The hot pepper relish, is there a receipt for that? Or where do you buy it?
Check it out at Walmart. Or replace with pickled relish- readily available in most Supermarkets.
Totally giving this a try tonight for dinner with my Boyfriend! Fingers and toes crossed lol I’m hoping for a great outcome, I’ll certainly post back with my conclusion! Thank you so much for sharing this!
No worries you are going to NAIL it ! Can’t wait for your feedback. Happy Cooking !!!
Wow, that Cat fish recipe is really mouth watering, but i have one question that i have recently read somewhere online that cat fish can cause brain related illness, is it true?
Hi Melissa! Sorry to say am not an expert on that subject. So don’t have much advice here.
Fried catfish is unlikely to give you a pathogenic brain disease because to the temperatures involved (assuming cooked fully). However, catfish are bottom feeders, and if they’re living in a toxic environment, they can pick up and concentrate the toxins. So if, for example, the water the catfish are taken from is polluted with mercury or lead, you can get neurological impairment if you eat enough of them. Best to know where your food is coming from.
Hi
You recipes look awesome and delicious.
I would like to know how do you make the african
Fish & Chicken Curry.
Keep doing the good work.
Regards,
Praveen Ramachandran Nair
Bangalore- India
Thanks Praveen ! Have you check this other recipes here https://www.africanbites.com/slow-cooker-jamaican-curry-chicken/ and this here https://www.africanbites.com/curried-goat-stew/. Easily adaptable to suit fish and chicken.
Do I have to use milk could I just mix in the cornflower and fry it??
The corn meal would not adhere to the fish that much resulting in very little coating for the fish. If you must then cornflour would be slightly better.
I use half flor and half cornmeal . It adheres well and u can skip the mill. Very crispy!
Thanks for sharing, Dana!
We caught a 3 lb catfish last nite. Our first, my eight year old daughter reeled it in. We soaked it overnight in buttermilk and fried as above. Wonderful!!!
Three pound cat fish? Wow! That’s huge. That must have been some experience for your daughter. Pleased to hear it worked out well for you Marijeanne. Thanks for the feedback!
Your catfish looks delicious. I’ve been searching for a good cornmeal coated catfish so I gotta try this one. Should I use fine or coarse cornmeal? Than for your response.
Hi Taysha! I use the regular store brand – from walmart, or your local supermarket. Have tried different variety and they all do just fine.
Omg omg omg, the best fried fish ever. Ty for posting this recipe! By the way I cooked swai fish instead of catfish, it’s a cleaner tasting than catfish to me.
Wow! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it Jess, thanks for letting me know! Saw is a good alternative too!
All of your recipes are awesome!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Imma, yours is one if the best and most enjoyable food blogs I’ve come across on the internet in a long, long time. I’ve become addicted to your recipes and ideas. I had some good friends from Jamaica and shared great times (meals, etc) together in Papua New Guinea years ago. You’ve sparked so many great memories for me. It’s going to be cruel if you stop uploading. Thanks so much.
Aww thank you so much! Michael, just made my day!!!! You’ve given me one more reason to keep it going even when my body tells me to take a break. Happy Cooking!
this look so yummy. It will feel to good to have them in my tummy 😀 5start from me ^^
Never had a cat fish, it looks yummy prepared your way!
Thanks Ryan!
I will try this recipe. Thanks Africanbites
Hi
Nice to see some one presenting something from Africa,keep yup good job.
Thanks mwebelha, let me know which recipes you make.